People seem to really like The Adventures of Juniper Black. I started drawing part two, set in a jungle. Juniper is around 16 or 17 now. I drew about two and a half pages before I realized it wasn’t the story I wanted to tell. The woods weren’t creepy enough.

So I started over, yesterday. This part is the opposite of the last story. Juniper’s still older, but it’s going to take place in a cave.

I get to fill in a LOT of black space. The spot color will be yellow, I’m thinking:

I’m actually sketching character designs for this little book. I don’t really do that with Black River. So, I can have a neat little “sketchbook” section in the printed version. I always like it when books have those.

Also, I did an illustration for the monthly Ghostshrimp Illustration Contest. The words this month were “Phantom Breakfast Robber”. I find that my first idea is the one I usually go with. Also, all the scouts from ghostcamp have shout outs in this drawing (thus the random pickle jar):

Finally, I did some ChronoTrigger fan art for my buddy Jesse Durona‘s SNES anthology. I colored it in, but I want you to buy it from him. So, here’s the dull uncolored version. More details on where to get a copy, as they develop.

Audio: Of Monsters And Men.My Head Is An Animal / Radiohead.In Rainbows

I’ve made it back to Charleston, SC! From the woods, I visited Boston with my fellow scouts, Pussy Wizard and Hawk Jams. Then I went back to Hardwick, VT to do some awesome work for this guy, Perry. Knowledge of building was passed to me. It was a nice end to camp, to build stuff.

From Hardwick, I traveled to good old White River Junction, VT to visit CCS. Classes were just staring for the newly accepted freshmen. They are so cute with the stars in their eyes for comics, still. In just a short semester, they’ll become jaded, disheveled cartoonists like the rest of us. I met up with Pussy Wizard (who was still in Boston) and Foam Breeze in White River.

From White River, Pus Wiz and i attended SPX. We drove 12 hours and spent the night in my car. We woke up, did push-ups, drank some water from the magic spring at ghostcamp. I had zero dollars to spend on comics, but simply had to buy Farel Dalrymple’s It Will All Hurt!

I quickly became obsessed, like I do, and had to draw a comic along the same lines. So, over the 9 hour drive from Maryland to SC, i devised a comic. I’m working on it today and tomorrow. 8 pages, black and white, risographed color cover. Here’s some character designs I sketched out:

It’s tentatively called The Adventures Of Juniper Black. I did the first page yesterday:

Also, this post is the last call for my Ghostshrimp zine. Whoever signs up for one, that’s pretty much going to be the print run. This is your last chance to hop on this train. I’m going to stop taking orders Friday and start the printing process. The zine is probably going to be called “Only Down Strokes” which is an in joke from camp.

I’m going to bust out this Juniper Black story this week. Juniper Black is woman who will show up in Black River, later. This little book is kind of a creepy backstory.

Here’s some of my favorite photos from camp I’ve seen recently:

Camp Life (photo by Michelle Dugan)

Another photo by Michelle. I cant tell if i’m eating ramen noodle or throwing them up (vomin’ noodles).

Also, I ate a years worth of McDonalds on the trip down. At one point, I noticed this dude on my tray paper:

Is it just me, or is his name “eviload”? EVIL LOAD! I think Pus Wiz and I spent an hour in a Mickey D’s on Friday. It was a strange time travel feeling.

And here’s another giant naked lady accidentally falling over in the woods:

Audio: Matt Pond PA.The Nature Of Maps / Explosions In The Sky.The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place

I did it! I survived Ghost Camp! I got a sweet nickname, 3 t-shirts, a hoodie, and a million amazing memories. The above drawing is probably going to be the intro page to the zine I’m getting together about camp. It’ll include about 20 or so drawings I did as well as photos taken by my wonderful fellow Scouts. Photos like this one:

So, now’s the part where I ask you for money. You should trade me hard earned dollars for this book I’m going to put together next week. You don’t have to. I’m just saying you should trust me and buy one. When the dude next to you on the bus has one, you’re going to be mad. You’ll want your own copy to put under your pillow every night. I’m not promising it’ll sing you lullabies, but I am promising it’ll help you have dreams that are significantly more rad.

Oh, so, some stuff happened in the news while i was away. Some travesty in Syria. So travesty involving Ben Affleck. I’m mostly freaked out that triceotops’ aren’t dinosaurs anymore, or something. So, them, brontosaurus’ and pluto aren’t real? My childhood is fake.

I drew this to calm my nerves:

Do a good deed today. Trade me money for art. Then you can be evil the rest of the day. You can talk to snakes!